Door-closer.



H. G. VOIGHT.

DOOR CLOSER.

APPLIOATION rum) JAILZI, 1914.

1,097,605. Patented May 19, 1914.

E. ilfljg '13 J0 49 2 I192! 26 2 55 f 54 11" WWW: I S mon Wore H. G. VOIGHT.

DOOR CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1914.

1,097,605 Patented May 19, 191

2 SHEBTE-BHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. HENRY e. VOIGH'L, or new BRITAIN, counncricur.

speemmaoa of Letters Patent Patented May 19, 1914.

Application filed January 21, 1914. Serial in. 813,397.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY G. VOIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, Hartford county, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Closers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. 1 p

My invention relates to door closing means ofthe type providing two relatively movable parts comprising an abutment member and a piston member arranged to be re ciprocated by the movement of the door, a spring being interposed between said parts and tensioned by the movement of said pis ton in door opening direction, the tensioned spring tending to move the piston memberin door closing direction to thereby close the door.

My invention aims more particularly to provide a manually controlled means arranged to hold the piston against movement in such opposite direction and, therefore, arranged to retainthe door in open position. The present invention not only provides means for accomplishin in the specific and pre erable modification of the' invention, utilizes mechanism containing many advantages, both from the standpoint of structure andoperation.

In the accompanying drawings I'am illustrating the invention as applied to a door closing mechanism combined with a checking mechanism, these latter mechanisms being of the concealed type as disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 806,154, filed December 12th, 1918. The invention, however, is not limited to use in connection with a door closer means of the structure disclosed herein, but may be utilized in connection with various forms of closers embodying the essential elements hereinbefore recited.

In the accompanyin drawings, Figurev 1 is a vertical section ta en through the rear edge of a door showing a combined check and closer mounted thereimthe closer mechanism embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section throu 11 the closer mechanism with the hold-open evice of the present invention shown in inoperative posi tion. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the closer mechanism with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2. Fig- 4: is a vertical section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the abutment this broadly, but

end closure of the closer casing; Fig. 6 is an end elevationof the piston. Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are views of details of construction of the hold-open device, and Fig. 10 is an end elevation of the closer.

Referring to the drawings by numerals,

1 designates part of a swinging door hav ing. its rear or hinged edge mortised out to receive the casing of the door check and closer, the top edge of the door being counterbored to receive the operating connections and other parts. In the present embodiment, the check and closer mechanisms are inclosed within tubular casings respectively, and suitably joined to .g'ethe r 't'o provide a unitary structure as by means of spot welding, welding strips or other suitable means. The inner ends of the casings are closed by screw caps 4. Ad jacent their innerends the casings are provided a-lined bores, the adjacent bored faces ofthe casing being connected by a threaded bushing 5 through which extends the lower end 6 of t e spindle of ,a gear 7 positioned within the closer casing; the up per end of this ear having a squared hub 8. The lower en 6 of the gear spindle is squared and receives thereon a gear 9 for the mechanism of the check device, the lower end of the spindle beingpointed and centering in a corresponding depression formed in the base of the casing 3. The bore in the upper face of the casing 2 receives a threaded and flanged washer 10, the squared hub portion 8 of the gear 7 extending up through the aperture of the washerand above the 1) an e.

T e closer and check casings are secured in position withinthe edge of the door by means of a plate 11 seated over the counterb'ored upper edge; of the doorand having screws 12 extending through said counterbored portion and engaging with the upper face ofthe casing 22. A connecting stud 13 extends through an aperture formed in the plate 11 and is rigidly connected with the squared hub 8 of the gear spindle 7, its upper end being rigidly connected with an.

operating arm 14 having a sliding conned tion with the door casing as. more fully explained in my copending application hereinbefore referred to. Suthee it to say that as the door is swung open the arm'14 turns its stud 13 to in turn operate the gears 7 and 9, these gears in turn'actuating the closer and checking mechanism of the two cylinders. The checking mechanism shown herein embodies a centrally apertured piston 15 having a rack bar 16 extending therefrom and cooperating with the gear 9. A tapered tube 17 cooperates with the aperture of the piston to progressively close or decrease the area of the same as the piston moves in one direction, thereby acting as a check. This tapered tube is hollow and is provided with a manually controlled valve and with an outlet aperture, the end of the check casing being closed by threaded plugs and washers as shown. The specific form of check is immaterial as far as the present invention is concerned and is described and claimed in my copending application referred to. v

The closer mechanism contained in the casing 2 embodies the hollow flanged abutment member 18 positioned adjacent the outer endof the casing and maintained in such position by the cupped and threaded nut 19 screwing into the outer end of the casing to close the same. Adjacent the 0pposite end of the casing is positioned what I term the piston of the closer mechanism, this piston being in the form of a tubular flanged member 20. Between the flanges of the abutment member 18 and the piston 20 a coiled spring 21'extends. The piston 20 is formed with an integral and rearwardly extending rack bar 22 arranged to engage with the gear 7 and positioned at the side of the casing opposite the-rack bar 16 of the checking mechanism so that the movement of the operating arm 14 will move these rack bars 22 and 16 in opposite directions. I

It will be evident that as the operating arm 14 swings, the gear 7 will engage with the rack 22 and move the piston 20 for- 'wardly to compress the coiled spring 21 and that this coiled spring, when tensioned, will tend to return the piston to its first position and thereby tend to return the door to closed position. It is frequently desirable to hold the door open at various degrees, and I, therefore, have incorporated in the broad combination recited, means for yieldingly holding the piston in spring compressed position and have also provided means whereby the holding means may be rendered inoperative, this last mentioned means being under manual control. To this end the flange base of the 'piston isprovided with an aperture 23 there through and the abutment 18 and cupped nut 19 are likewise provided with complemental and alined bores therethrough, the bore through the cupped nut being threaded; Extending between the abutment 18 and nut 19 and the movable piston 20 is what I term a ratchet bar 24, this bar being round ed for the major portion and having one end threaded as at 25 to screw into the threaded bore in the nut 19. The opposite end is smooth and slides through the bore 23 and piston 20 and guides on said-piston. The extremity 25 of the ratchet bar extends out beyond the outer face of the cuppednut 19 and has its projecting end squared as at 25 and provided with a screw driver slot for the purposes-hereinafter described. Intermediate its ends the ratchet bar has flattened complemental faces, one of these faces 26 being formed with a plurality of inclined ratchet teeth 27 and the other flattened face being smooth. The ratchet teeth are formed intermediate the ends of the'flattened portion of the face 26, this face being slightly curved to merge into the periphery of the main body of the bar 24.

The piston 20 has part of its tubular portion cut away as at 29 to receive therebetween the bifurcated arm 30 pivotally mounted therebetween at its rear end and having its forward bifurcated end positioned at the open extremity of the piston. Pivotally mounted at its upper end between the bifurcated end portions of the arm 30 is a holding dog-31, its lower end depending from the arm 30 and normally pressed downwardly to engage the ratchet bar 24 by means of a leaf spring 32 secured to the tubular portion of the piston 20 and extending over and above the arm 30 to engage and normally press the dog 31 downwardly.

The side of the tubular piston 20 is cut away 1 to receive this leaf spring. The ratchet teeth 27 are inclined rearwardly or toward the hinged edge of the door so that as the piston 20 is moved in a direction to compress the spring by the opening ofthe door', the dog 30 will incline at an angle corresponding substantially to the angle of the teeth and will pass over the teeth as long asit moves indoor opening direction and is in engagement with'the teeth. If the movement of the piston is arrestedbefore. the dog has traversed the entire length of ratchet surface and the door is released, vthe lower end of the dog will engage against the.

straight edge of one of the ratchet'teeth and the angle of the dog, relativeto its pivot and aided by the pressure of the spring 32, will normally hold the piston against movement in the opposite direction throughthe force of the tensioned coiled spring 21. If pressure is applied to move the open door in closing direction, the spring 32 will yield sufficiently to permit the dog in turn to yield and ride over the ratchet teeth so that the door may be closed by the spring. If on the contrary the door is opened so that the dog 31 is moved beyond the innermost of the ratchet teeth 27 the dog, on closing movement of the door, will simply reverse its angle of inclination and ride over the ratchet teeth, the door freely closing exce ting, of course, for the checking action of t echecking mechanism of cylinder 3, assumin that the specific apparatus described is utilized.

Of course, the length of the ratchet surface may be varied to provide a varying number of points at which the door may be held open.

In order to position the ratchet bar so that it will have its ratchet surface in either operative relation to the hold open dog or to be inoperatively positioned relatively there-v to, the outer face of the cupped nut 19 is cut away at 19 and a headed pin 33 isattached to the nut 19 with its head spaced from the outer face of the nut. Thispinis utilized as an anchorage for a'coiled spring 34 which extends about the shank of the pin and has its ends spaced apart and shaped to embrace the squared end 25 of the ratchet bar (see Fig. 10). In the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the ratchet bar is positioned so that its ratchet surface cooperates with the dog. Assuming, however, that it is desired to put the ratchet bar 24 in inoperative position relative to the dog, this bar may be given a half turn by means of a screw driver inserted in the slot at the outer end of the bar, this movement of the bar forcing the dog upwardly against its spring 32 and resenting the plain flattened surface 28 of t 1e ratchet bar to said. dog so that no hold back abutment, such as ratchet teeth, are in the path of travel of the dog in its door opening and closing movement. The retaining sprin 34 will securely hold the ratchet bar in t isinoperative position until the latter is again turned by means of a screw driver. or similar vtool toreturn the ratchet surface to its original position.

It will be noted that the'ratchet barv has a threaded engagement with the nut 19 and has no positive connection with either the spring abutment 18 or the tubular piston 20 against which the opposite end of the spring abuts. The adjustment of the bar may,

-' therefore, be effected without affecting the operation and coiiperation of the parts of the closer mechanism proper. It is fre quently desirable to vary the normal tension of the spring against the piston in door closed position and to this end I have provided the nut 19 with threaded bores 35 therein, positioned at opposite sides of the center of the nut. Adjusting studs 36 screw into these bores and bear against the flanged base of the abutment 18 so that by screwing up on the studs, the abutment 19 may be advanced toward or retracted from the piston 20 to vary the normal tension of the spring against these parts.

It is hardly necessary to further describe the operation of the device inasmuch as it coiiperates with a door in the usual manner of door checks and closers. \Vhen the door is moved in opening direction, the rack bar 22 and piston 20 is moved in a direction to compress the coiled spring 21 and the rack bar 16 and piston 15 are moved in the opposite direction, the air or other fluid passing freely from one end of the cylinder 3 to the other. If the hold open device is not in operative position, the coiled spring will return the piston with its rack bar 22 to its original and normal position, causing the rotation of gear 7, and through its spindle 6, of gear 9 and of arm 14 to move'the door toward closed position. The piston 20 will simply return to its first position, riding over the plain surface 28 of the abutment of the ratchet bar and the piston 15 will be moved toward the valved and tapered tube 17, the outlet aperture being gradually decreased to provide a checking medium, as is well known.

The door closer specifically shown and described herein is one adapted for use in connection with swinging doors, but it will be obvious that the present invention is not limited to closers of this specific class, but that the invention consists more particularly in the combination of parts recited in the appvended claims.

hat I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1, In a device of the character described, a casing, a pistonmember within said casing arranged to be reciprocated by movement of a door, a spring within said casing arranged to be tensioned by movement of said piston member in one direction, said tensioned spring tending to move said piston in. the opposite direction, and means within said casin arranged to block said piston against spring actuated movement in said opposite direction.

, 2. In a device of the character described, a casing, a piston member within said casng arranged to be reciprocated by movement of a door, a spring within said casing arranged to be tensioned by movement of said piston member in one direction, said tensioned spring normally tending to move said piston in the opposite direction, and means within said casing arranged to block said piston against spring actuated movement in such opposite direction, said means being arranged to yield under abnormal pressure to release'said piston for movement.

3. In a device of the character described, a casing, two relatively movable parts therewithin comprising a stationary abutment member and a piston member arranged to be reciprocated by movement of the door, a spring arranged between said parts and ten sioned by movement of said piston member in one direction, said tensioned'spring tending to move said piston in the opposite direction, and means within said casing arranged to hold said piston against movement in such opposite direction, said holding means being constructed and arranged for movement into and out of operative holding position, and means of manual control for said holding means operable from the exterior of the casing.

4. In a device of the character described, a casing, two relatively movable parts therewithin comprising. a stationary abutment member and a piston member arranged to be reciprocated by movement of a door, a spring arranged between said parts and tensioned by movement of said piston member in one direction,'said tensioned spring tending to move said piston member in the opposite direction, and means carried by said parts and within saidcasing arranged to cooperate upon movement of the piston in said one directionto hold said piston against spring-actuated movement in said opposite direction. a

5. In a device of the character described, a casing, two relatively movable parts therewithin comprising a stationary abutment member and a piston member arranged'to' be reciprocated by movement of a door, a spring arranged between said parts and tensioned by movement of said piston member in one direction, said tensioned spring tending to move said pistonmember in the op posite direction, and means carried by said parts within said casing arranged to cooperate upon movement of the piston in said one direction to hold said piston against spring-actuated movcmentin said opposite direction, said holding means being arranged for movement into the operative and inoperative position. and manually controlled means operable from the exterior of the casing for so moving said holding means.

6. In a device of the character described, a casing, two relatively movable parts therewithin comprising a stationary abutment member and a piston member arranged to be reciprocatcd by movement of a door, a coiled spring arranged between said parts and tensionedby movement of said piston member in door opening direction, said tensioned spring tending to move said piston in door closing direction, one of said two relatively movable parts being provided with a ratchet surface positioned in the line of relative movement of said parts, and the other of said parts being provided with a holdopen dog arranged to ride over said ratchet surface indoor opening direction of movement of said parts, but arranged to engage the ratchet surface in door. closing direction and hold said parts against relative movement.

7. In a device of the character described,;

' a casing, two'relatively movable parts therewithin comprising a stationary abutment member and. a piston member arranged to be reciprocated by movement of a door, a coiled spring arranged between said parts and tensioned by movement of said piston member in door opening direction, said tensioned spring tending to move said piston in door closing direction, one of said two relatively movable parts being provided with a ratchet surface positioned in the line of relative movement of said parts, and the other of said parts being provided with a hold-open dog arranged to ride over said ratchet surface in door opening direction of movement of said parts, but arranged to engage the ratchet surface in door closing direction and hold said parts against relative movement, said ratchet surface being movable into and gut of the plane of cooperation with said dog, manually controlled means operable from the exterior of the casing for moving said ratchet surface, and means for retalnin said ratchet surface in either of said positlons.

' 8. In a device of the character described,

I two relatively movable parts comprisi nugl :1 ar

tubular abutment member and a tub piston member arranged to be reciprocated by movement of a door and positioned in axial alinement with said abutment memher, a coiled spring interposed between said members and substantially concentric therewith, said spring being tensioned by movement of said piston in door opening direction, a ratchet bar extending longitudinally of and alined with said tubular abutment and piston and fixed relatively to one of said two relatively movable parts, said ratchet bar guiding on the other of said parts, and a yieldable hold-open dog, carriedby the other of said parts and arranged to cooperate with said ratchet bar in door closing direction of the parts to engage the ratchet surface thereof and yieldingly hold said parts against relative movement and said door against closing.

9. In a device of the character described, a casing, a tubular abutment member positioned to engage one end of said casing and held thereby against movement, a tubular piston within said casing and positioned in axial alinement with said abutment, a coiled piston and tending, when tensioned, to move said piston in door closing'direction, a bar carried by one end of said casing extending through the alined bores in said abutment and piston, said bar having ratchet teeth on one face thereof intermediate its ends, a

yielding spring pressed dog carried by said piston in line with said bar, normally controlled means formoving said bar to position its ratchet surface for engagement by said spring pressed dog in door closing direction of movement of said piston whereby said piston is yieldingly held against movement in door closing direction, and for moving said bar to position its ratchet surface beyond the plane of movement of said dog, and means for holding said bar in either of said positions.

10: A closer mechanism arranged to be inserted and. substantially concealed Within a door edge and including a casing and two relatively movable parts therewithin comprising a stat-ioi'niry abutment member and a piston member arranged for operative connection with and reciprotattion by the door, a spring arranged between said parts and tensioned by movement of said piston member in one direction, said tensioned spring normally tending to move said piston in the opposite direction, and means within said casing coiiperating with said piston member and arranged to hold the same against movement in such opposite direction.

11. A. closer mechanism arranged to be insorted and substantially concealed within a door edge and including a casing and two relatively movable parts therewithin comprising a stationary abutment member and a piston member arranged for operative con-- nection with and reciprocation by the door, a spring arranged between said parts and tensioned by movement of said piston member in one direction, said tensioned spring normally tending to move said piston in the opposite direction, and means within said casing cooperating with said piston member and arranged to hold the same against move ment in such opposite direction, said holding means being arranged for movement into and out of operative holding position, manually operable means positioned eXteriorly of said casing whereby said holding means may be so positioned, and means for retaining said holding means in either of said positions.

12. In combination with a door and its casing, the door having a mortise formed in its rear vertical edge adjacent a horizontal edge, said mortised portion being counterbored troni the adjacent horizontal edge of said door, a closer casing inserted and held within said mortised portion, closer inecha uism within said casing including two relatively movable parts comprising a stationary abutment and a movable piston member, connections between said piston member and the door casing extending through said counter-bored door edge and arranged to reciprocate said piston member upon the movement of the door, a coiled spring arranged between said parts and tensioned by movement of said piston member and door in one direction, said tensioned spring tending to move said piston member and door in the opposite direction, and means carried by said piston and abutment and within said casing arranged to coiiperate upon movement of the piston in the first direction to yieldingly hold said piston and door against movement in the second or spring actuated direction, said holding means being arranged to be operatively and inoperativcly positioned, and means of manual control therefor.

13. In a device of the character described, a casing, two relatively movable parts therewithin comprising a stationary abutment and a piston member arranged to be reciprocated by movement of a door, a spring arranged between said parts and tensioned by movement of said piston member in one direction, said tensioned spring tending to move said piston member in the opposite direction, and means carried by said parts arranged to cooperate upon movement of the piston in said one direction to yieldingly hold said piston against spring actuated movement in said opposite direction.

14. In a. device of the character described, a casing, two relatively movable parts therewithin comprising a stationary abutment and a piston member arranged to be reciproeatod by movement of a door, a coiled spring arranged between said parts and tensioncd by movement of said. piston member in door opening direction, said tensioned spring tending to m ive said piston in door closing direction, one of said two relatively movable parts being provided with a ratchet surface positioned in the line of relative movement of said parts, and the other of said parts being provided with a hold-open meinber arranged to ride over said ratchet sur face in door opening direction of movement of said parts, but arranged toengage said ratchet surface in door closing direction and yieldingly hold said parts against relative movement.

HENRY t. VOIG-HT. Witnesses Gwimnotmn A. JACKSON, CHAS. E. RUSSELL.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,097,605. granted May '19, 1914,

upon the application of Henry G. Voight, of New Britain. Connecticut, for em improvement in Door-Closers, an error appears in the print-ed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 4, line 128, for the word normally read manually;

and that; the said Letters Patent should be read with this correetion therein the r the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 9th day of June, A. D., 1914.

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

